Changes
by TimeGuardian
Summary: Years after their last adventure, Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji reunite to track down the missing Dr. Quest and Race Bannon. Will they be in time?
1. Prologue

**_Changes_**  
An Alternate Timeline Real Adventures of Jonny Quest fanfiction  
by TimeGuardian

_Dad,_

_I just wanted to let you know that the summer break is coming up, and we are being allowed a larger than normal break because the school is going through renovations. I know that you are still busy in that research project you wouldn't tell me about, but I was hoping maybe we could spend some time together and catch up on old times and-_

Twenty year old Jonny Quest sat in front of his computer in his dorm room and stared at the blinking message that he wanted to send. Ever since he had entered M.I.T., he had been struggling to keep up with his studies of computer programming and electronics. From the all too brief time he had spent learning from his dad and Race, he found he had a talent for such things, but he found that it was too easy to lose focus.

After all, who could boast the fact that they had seen the world, had nearly been killed more times than he cared to count along with being kidnapped and trained to be assasin, all before he had even turned eighteen?

Sometimes there were nights where his scars ached, and it reminded him of home. After his family's battle with the Zin twins all those years ago, things had settled into a quiet routine and for that, Jonny was thankful.

Race was able to keep him up to speed with most of the schooling and after many promises and pledges by him and his father, Jonny was finally allowed back into the school system, where he had found reasonable success and managed to graduate only a year behind his peers. At first he wasn't sure why he had decided on college, after all, his father had made it clear that he was welcome to stay home for as long as he needed.

His cell phone began a resonating trilling noise from where he had tossed it beside his laptop computer. Jonny checked the display and found an all too familiar name staring back at him. Flipping it open, he began his greeting. "Jessie Bannon, it's been a while."

Silence greeted his attempt, and it puzzled him. "Jessie?"

Finally he heard a sharp intake of breath along with Jessie's monotone voice. "Jonny, you need to come home. Now."

This wasn't normal for Jessie. Jonny remembered all too well that she would usually be the first one to chide him for being so serious all of the time. "Jessie, what's wrong?"

Her next words shocked him. "Our dads are missing, Jonny. I can't find any trace of them."

--

Dr. Quest didn't know where in the hell he was - or at the very least, it felt like hell. The heat surrounded him, permeated his skin and left a sheen of sweat on him. Not that the sweat was helping much anyway, and that was due in part to his pounding head. Benton tried lifting a hand to his aching head only to find that he could not because his hands were bound behind him with what felt like a thick rope.

This was trouble, no doubt about it. Benton did his best to clear his mind and try to focus on how he got in this predicament, and that was when he noticed one conspicuous absence. He could distinctly remember Race being with him before he lost consciousness.

So where was he?

--

A man with snow white hair laid on the hospital bed, swathed in bandages, and far as doctor Tetsuo Najima was concerned, this person was a true enigma. Only a day ago the man stumbled into the hospital he was working at and collapsed only a few feet in front of him. BY all rights and with the internal bleeding this man had, he should have been dead.

Tetsuo had orderlies carefully gather the man onto a stretcher and after a few hours of surgery and treatment had managed to stabilize the man's vital signs and have him moved into a private room. Now that he was checking on this man again hours later, he was amazed to find that his patient was conscious.

Tetsuo moved closer to the bed and realized that his patient was also muttering as well as moving around.

Would he be coherent enough to understand? "I hope you can hear me," Tetsuo began.

Suddenly the doctor was shocked as the man laying in the bed shot out a hand and grabbed his arm. The man's grip was like iron, and it was all he could do to stand upright.

It was then that Tetsuo could finally make out the man's strange mutterings.

"Desert...base...Doctor Quest...danger..."

* * *

_Um, yeah, I am back. This idea is as far as this prologue and one chapter, but I thought I would go ahead and start sharing. This story picks up years later where my stories Manipulation, Shattered Memories, and Serpent's Kiss left off. You do not nessecarily have to read the other stories to understand this one, but there will some references to what happened to them in the past. As to what's planned? You get to see how the kids fared growing up, and see how a few extra years impacts their relationship with each other and with Race and Dr. Quest, along with a big dose of adventure. Feedback welcomed._


	2. Reunion of Friends

Chapter One – Reunion of Friends

The taxi that had dropped off Jonny took off like a rocket back towards the main road, leaving him standing at the gates of the Quest compound with his duffel bag and laptop bag in hand.

No sooner than he had finished his conversation with Jessie, he had managed to find a midnight flight back to Maine. Jessie had offered to pick him up at the airport along with Hadji, but Jonny had refused for reasons that even he did not understand. Maybe he wasn't quite ready to see her yet, maybe he wasn't quite ready to see Hadji yet either.

The last time that he had been with Hadji face to face was when they were in Bangalore, thwarting the plans of the Zin twins to acquire the secrets of the falcon of Bangalore. After Jonny had come home from South America, he had been only slightly disappointed that Hadji had been tied up with Bangalore government business for quite a few months and was unable to come and visit. The few times he had tried to call his brother via video phone didn't work out so well either. There had been a certain coldness there that Jonny couldn't quite shake, and in the end he finally found it easier to avoid conversations with Hadji all together.

However, there was no avoiding this scenario anymore - their fathers were missing. They simply needed to work together again.

With a steadying breath, Jonny put his code in at the keypad on the gate and soon heard IRIS' smooth voice. "Entry code confirmed. Welcome home, Jonny Quest."

* * *

Hadji Singh, Sultan of Bangalore, paced the length of the living room of the main house. Jessie had been kind enough to pick him up from the airport and hour ago, and now she was in the library making phone calls and checking with hospitals and news reports.

When Hadji heard the doorbell he took a deep breath and went to the door. He knew who was there - Iris had announced that fact only moments ago. He had wondered what he was going to say to his brother.

All of his thoughts fled when he saw the pained expression on Jonny's face. Jonny was taller than Hadji had remembered and judging by his physique, he guessed that Jonny had continued his rigorous physical conditioning that he had maintained while he lived at the compound.

Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around his brother in a hug. "Jonny. It's good to see you."

After a few moments, he released his hold and stepped back, gesturing to the large sofa in the room.

Jonny had been taken aback by the greeting and stood in the doorway. At Hadji's gesture, he walked inside and heard Hadji close the door behind him.

Slowly, Jonny walked into the large living room. Not much had changed since his last visit: Bright colors were everywhere, and the furniture was the same color.

_At least some things don't change. _

He set his bags down on the ground and took a seat on the sofa.

Moments later, Hadji walked over to face him. He had his arms folded and a look of concern on his face. "Okay, out with it. For the past few months you have been avoiding me and when you came in just now I could swear that you are afraid of me."

_Busted._ It was time to lay out the one and only fear he had. "I never could keep anything from you, could I Hadji? Truth be told, I was wondering if you were mad at me."

Hadji's eyes widened for a brief second before he started laughing. "Jonny, I was mad at you for a time for leaving me out of your plans, but understand this: I have a life and family in India as well, and I owe that in part to you. If you had not interceded when you did back then, the daughters of Zin would have had the falcon and Bangalore at their disposal, and I would have been dead. If I seemed distant, that was because I was adjusting to life with two families. Besides, to hear Race tell the story all those years ago, you learned your lesson in South America about family. You have found your own path through life since then, and I cannot fault you for that. In fact, to hear Dr. Quest tell it, you have been out-programming most of your college class recently."

Jonny couldn't help but smile by that point. "Yeah, but try and tell that to my grade average."

Hadji returned the smile. "Jonny, if you and I can code our way through Quest World without much of a problem, I think you will be fine."

"I'm just wondering if dad and Race are fine."

"Jessie is in the library trying to get us more information now," Hadji assured him. "She was assisting Dr. Quest on his last few research projects over the past year. Race was due to bring her to the site that Dr. Quest was working at, but that has been at least two days ago from what she had told me. Neither of them even said where they were going or what the research was about."

"I know the feeling," Jonny stated. "Dad mentioned a project he was starting but wouldn't tell me much either."

A noise from the hallway caused Jonny to look around, and that was when he saw Jessie.

Dressed in a simple pair of blue jeans and a blue blouse, she looked exactly as Jonny remembered her during his last visit a year ago, with only one exception - the haunted look in her eyes.

He got to his feet. "Uh, Jessie, Hadji said you were trying to find out more information about our dads."

Just like on the phone call that had gotten him to come, Jessie remained subdued. There were a few moments of silence before she finally spoke. "I received a call from a hospital in California. My dad's there - his doctor says that he's lucky to be alive."

Jonny looked to Hadji, who had a shocked expression on his face. He turned back to her and finally found the words he had been dreading. "What about my dad?"

Jessie shook her head. "They only have my dad. I'm sorry Jonny. I have the location of the hospital and he is awake. Maybe he can tell us something."

It was as good a plan as any. Jonny nodded, and then looked to each of them. "I wanted to log some flight time anyway, unless anyone had any objections. Jessie, does dad still keep the other jets at the small airstrip down the road?"

At Jessie's nod, Jonny declared. "Well then, let's get going. Next stop, California."


	3. Awareness

Chapter 2 - Awareness

Benton Quest was more aware of his surroundings now. The heat that had permeated him earlier had left and he was finally feeling cooler, despite still having his hands bound behind him. His eyes adjusted to the low level of light and that was when he realized that he was at the bottom of a large hole in the ground.

_That's right - I was put here._

--

One week ago, Quest Compound -

Race Bannon stood in the middle of the library of the Quest compound and declared. "Okay Benton, out with it. You have been jumpier than I have ever seen you before. Either you give me an answer, or you can find your own damn ride to California."

Dr. Benton Quest winced as he was working on his personal computer at his desk in the library. He had only just spoken with Race a few minutes before about them traveling to California. Judging by the tone of friend's voice and the fact that he followed him into the library, Race Bannon was in one of those give-me-answers-or-else kind of moods. That left only one recourse.

"It's a simple matter - Intelligence One asked for my help on a case and I accepted," he replied simply as he turned around in his chair.

Benton watched as his friend's eyes widened. "Of all the- I thought you swore off of helping them after all of what we've all been through because of them."

Benton shook his head. How could he make Race understand? "There's more to this than just helping them out. Before I-One paired you up with me, before I had even met Rachel, there was a man by the name of Sebastian Warner. He was about the same age I was. We worked together on quite a few projects, and his strengths seemed to go into the realms of earth Sciences, though he also knew his way around a chemistry lab quite well."

Turning around to face Race, he reluctantly continued. "Sebastian - loved money in all forms along with the fame from his discoveries. At the time, I had been working on a laser project with him to help explore along fault lines to help better study the Earth's crust and better predict earthquakes. We had setup a temporary lab in a small town near the Sonaran desert region in California. The laser was going to be used as a way to read the depths and types of earth beneath the desert soil and translate that into readings that Sebastian could interpret and model."

Race leveled a hard look at him. "There's more to this story. What happened to Sebastian?"

Benton shook his head sadly. "What I didn't know at the time was that he had already sold off the rights to our work to an interested third party- which turned out to be Dr. Zin."

"Zin??"

He nodded. "Zin had promised him an exorbitant amount of money for the project, but both you and I know how Zin worked. A week after Sebastian made the deal, thugs broke into the lab trying to steal the laser. Both Sebastian and I tried to fight them off, but there was an accident. The laser systems overloaded causing the building to explode. I managed to escape with only minor injuries but Sebastian wasn't so lucky."

"He didn't make it out of the building?"

Benton shook his head. "I turned around at the last moment to make sure he was behind me, and that was when the last of the building fell apart. Search teams sifted through the debris but couldn't find any sign of him. After about a month, they called off the search, citing that no one could have survived that devastation. It was I-One who later found that the thugs had come from Zin."

Race reasoned. "He was determined to get what he felt that he deserved, and it came back on him. That's the way karma works."

Benton shook his again. "That's what I thought as well. I would have been happy to continue thinking that way, at least until I received a communication from Intelligence One last week, along with photos. There are reports of heavy unusual activity in the same desert region we worked in. There are reports of men moving heavy equipment under the cover of night, along with minor earthquakes in the area. Race, the photos are of Sebastian Warner."

Race shook his head. "You can't be serious, Benton."

He stood up and shut off his computer. "I have to know. Besides, I-One has asked for my advisement on how to handle him since they knew of my previous encounters with him. So far he has kept to himself and his movements have been suspicious. I've given my word and I am not about to go back on it now."

Race looked him directly in the eyes and couldn't help but grin. "I know better than to argue with you when you are like this. You keep claiming Jonny is stubborn, but I know exactly who he got it from."

"The same can be said about you and Jessie," Benton replied with a smirk before he had another thought. "Speaking of which, she has been hounding me to get back into the field to do some sort of on site research to get out of the house. I've been putting her off, but I can't bring her into this - not until I know what is truly going on at least."

"Don't worry about that one, Benton. We can simply leave one morning early here, land in California, travel to this small town of yours and rest up before we start investigating. If Jessie has any questions about it, just tell her you had to do some pre-survey sort of thing and that I will get her later."

Benton laughed. "It sounds like you have done this sort of thing before."

Race nodded knowingly, "I've had years of practice, trust me."

--

Dr. Quest shook his head at the memory and it nearly made his head hurt. He remembered that he and Race had been waylaid somehow once they had arrived, but the details were truly hazy. First he was hot and tied up, now he was cold and tied up, but no matter how he looked at it, this was dangerous.

"Awake are we?"

The voice echoed at him from above, and Benton craned his neck up and saw an aged and weathered face, but there was no mistaking the distinctive look of hatred in his eyes. "Sebastian! You can't be alive," he called out hoarsely.

"Things change, Benton. Deal with it," Sebastian spat back. "I have worked on our 'creation' for the longest time since our last meeting. Years of advancements allow for better technology, and now I have created the perfect advancement that will at last get me the attention I deserve."

Benton didn't like where this conversation was leading. "What are you planning to do?"

Maniacal laughter greeted his question. "Oh, you'll see, my friend. No one will ever take the name of Sebastian Warner for granted ever again."

And with that final declaration, Benton saw that Sebastian had walked away from the hole, leaving him alone with his thoughts.


	4. Hallon, California

_Note: Hallon is a fictional town that I'm setting near the southern end of California._

Chapter 3 - Hallon, California

With some effort, Jonny Quest landed the Quest jet on the small airstrip and managed to bring it to a complete stop mere feet from the numerous metal hangers that were grouped on either side of the runway.

He shut down the engines and then turned to Jessie and Hadji. "So where's this hospital supposed to be located?"

"At the edge of the town," Jessie replied. "From where we are though, it should be less than five minutes from here. The doctor I spoke with promised to meet us here at the airstrip."

They made their preparations, grabbed their bags, and then disembarked from the jet. Once they were on the ground, they started walking beside the length of the runway.

"When you told us how hot it would be, Jessie, I thought I was prepared," Hadji declared as he wiped the newly formed sweat from his brow. "Now, I am not so sure."

"According to the weather reports we listened to on the way here, the city of Hallon is supposed to stay a nice hundred and five degrees for the rest of the week," Jessie replied lightly. "At least you wore a short sleeved shirt."

Hadji ran a hand through his dark black hair and looked down at the dark blue cotton shirt he was wearing. "At this rate, I am going to be as soaked as when I had my shower this morning."

"We may not be out here for long," Jonny said as he pointed to an approaching vehicle. "It looks like our ride is here."

The vehicle in question turned out to be a jeep which sped up and then pulled up right beside them.

Jessie walked forward to extend a hand to the older Japanese looking gentleman sitting in the driver's seat. Seeing him in person, she realized that he looked slightly older than father. The soft wrinkles in the man's face coupled with the salt and pepper hair gave her the best indicator, though his well defined arms let her know that the doctor was doing his best to keep the effects of age at bay. "It is good to meet you, Doctor Najima. These are my friends - Jonny Quest and Hadji Singh."

The doctor in turn looked at all three of them. "It is good to see all of you. Welcome to our lovely yet warm town of Hallon. Please, load your bags in the back and get in. I will take you all to the hospital."

--

The ride was quick, and soon they were pulling into the parking lot of the hospital. Jonny whistled in appreciation at it's size. "Dr. Najima, this hospital is huge for such a small town."

"You can thank tax dollars, tourist dollars, and the city's PR campaign to lure scientists and researchers," he replied with a smile. "We have one main twelve story building that houses the patients and two smaller research buildings flanking the main building. The dry and arid climate around here makes an ideal laboratory for most things."

"How do you think my father made it all the way here and how did you know who he was?" Jessie asked as Dr. Najima parked in one of the physician parking spots.

"Our proximity to a vast expanse of desert probably helps in that case. About two roads away from here is the largest stretch of desert in the immediate area. There's about sixty square miles of it before you reach the border leading into Mexico, or if you go west from here you would soon be in Arizona. Your dad probably came from somewhere in that area," Doctor Najima replied as he shut off the engine. "As to how I knew who your father was, I made a few inquiries to the sheriff and he was the one that told me about Race visiting him to get some information about the desert area outside town.

He escorted them inside the hospital. From the inside, Jonny marveled at how next generation everything seemed to be. Automatic glass sliding doors led to different waiting rooms where video screens were showing either news or old movies. Plants were in abundance, some of which were being grown hydroponically, and the windows themselves seem to be made to bring in focused light to specific areas. He also noted the numerous cameras and electric eyes that seemed to be all over the place.

They followed the doctor to the security desk where he grabbed three visitor badges and handed each of them one. Doctor Najima then spoke up as he led them to the elevators. "Miss Bannon, your father is in a private room on the fifth floor. He is awake but extremely weak from the surgery and dehydration, so I would think it would be less stress on him if only one of you visit him at a time."

"Jessie should go see her father, of course," Hadji insisted.

"Indeed," Jonny agreed. "Doctor Najima, while she visits Race, is there somewhere where we can talk?"

--

Race Bannon felt like death warmed over, and that was putting a positive spin on things. It had taken him a while to be truly aware of his surroundings, and that was when he realized that he was in a hospital.

He tested his arms and legs and felt marginally better when they responded with only a minor protest of pain. However, the edges of his memory suffered a bit more. Race remembered arriving in Hallon with Dr. Quest and renting a jeep to go visit the deserted site of the old lab that Benton had used and- _waitaminute where was he?_

Flashes of memory assaulted his mind. Race remembered having to make a quick escape. Benton was supposed to have been right behind him. There was a flash of pain and-

He was jolted from his thoughts when he heard the door to his room open and then a familiar voice.

"Dad?"

Race smiled as he saw Jessie approach his bed but the look of pity in her eyes nearly did him in. He did his best to reassure her, though his voice sounded rougher and drier than he had intended. "Ponchita, don't look so worried. I'm alive."

That evoked a wobbly smile from her. "So says the man who traipsed through the desert in pain, bleeding internally, and dehydrated to the point of collapse. Dad, what happened?"

He closed his eyes in concentration and went back to the memories he had been trying to make sense of earlier. "I'm not sure of all of it, but I will tell you what I know. Is Dr. Quest with you?"

"No."

Race opened his eyes. "Then he's still out there. We don't have much time. If you and Jonny are to have any chance-"

"I also brought Hadji in on this too," Jessie interrupted.

Race smiled. "I taught you well. For you three to have any chance of getting to Doctor Quest, we better get started then."


	5. Conversations

Chapter 4 - Conversations

Once Jessie had left for Race's room, Dr. Najima escorted Jonny and Hadji to an office at the end of the hall on the same floor.

Dr. Najima opened the door to that office and motioned them inside. "My colleague is on vacation until the end of the month, so I am sure he wouldn't mind us borrowing her office."

The office was sparsely furnished with plants, a desk, and three chairs. Dr. Najima took a seat near the desk and motioned for them to sit down.

"Dr. Najima-" Hadji started.

"Please," the older man insisted, "my friends call me Tetsuo and I insist that you do the same."

"Testsuo," Jonny began, "how much do you know about all of this?"

Tetsuo sighed. "It seemed to be fate. I was preparing to come off shift and go home. It was late in the evening and the sun had already set. I had made it to the front lobby when I had heard a commotion at the front door. Security guards were scrambling and by the time I had reached the scene, it was then I encountered Mr. Bannon."

"You said he was in bad shape," Hadji pressed. "Did he say anything after coming here?"

Dr. Najima took a breath. "I'm not sure if it is my place to say-"

Jonny leaned forward in earnest. "Please, Tetsuo, our father is still out there somewhere."

The old man leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. "Ah, to be young and impetuous again. Mr. Bannon made a reference to a desert base and that Dr. Quest was in danger."

They were words that Jonny didn't want to hear exactly, but the evidence was all there. Even after Race had left Intelligence One and became head of security for Quest enterprises, he was always close by. According to his dad's emails, it was always either Race or Jessie that accompanied him on any of his outside projects. For them to be forcibly separated meant the unthinkable.

Jonny got up from his chair, eager to be doing anything other than sitting and waiting. "Where do we start looking?"

Dr. Najima opened his eyes and gave him a sharp glare. "Impetuousness will get you killed here, Mr. Quest. Once you step out of the town boundaries, you would have quite a bit of desert to cover, and with the temperatures the way they are you can easily dehydrate by day and freeze by night."

"We have had some experience in adverse climates," Hadji declared. "What about the sheriff you spoke with?"

"Sheriff Hallon did say that he spoke with Mr. Bannon and Dr. Quest for close to a half hour on two separate occasions, so yes, it would probably be best to speak to him."

--

Jessie pulled up a small chair that was in the corner of her father's hospital room and took a seat beside his bed. "Tell me what you can."

Race then told her of the conversation he had with Dr. Quest before they had left for Hallon.

When he had finished that part of the story, Jessie nearly leapt from her chair in frustration. "Dad, like it or not, I am an adult now. You two had no right-"

He gave her a stern look and cut off her tirade, "For one thing, that wasn't my call to make. Before that day I hadn't even heard of Sebastian Warner. If Dr. Quest wanted to check this situation out before you came to join them, then that was within his right."

Jessie took a cleansing breath. "Did he want to protect me or was he feeling guilty about his supposed friend?"

"A little of both, actually," Race replied with a grin. "Hey, cut us fathers some slack - to us you three are still the kids who know how to get themselves in the wildest of trouble."

She couldn't help but smile at that. "Okay, you're forgiven. But what happened once you guys got out to the site?"

Race closed his eyes. "We arrived at the old site where Benton and Sebastian had their lab. It is truly in the middle of nowhere - apparently the site had been used in some military applications before and they wanted the solitude. Benton wanted to setup camp and then take a look around. It was after we had done that- that-"

His voice trailed off, and that worried her. "Dad?"

Another breath, and then Race opened his eyes with a new realization. "That was when the earthquake hit."

"Earthquake? I know there are quite a few fault lines in the area but-"

Race shook his head. "I know it sounds crazy, but I know what I experienced. We did our best to steady ourselves, and that was when I was struck by something. I felt an intense wave of heat shoot through my body, and that's it."

"That's all you remember?" Jessie asked.

He nodded before grabbing one of her hands tightly. "My next coherent thought was when I woke up here. Jessie, you better get going. There's no telling what kind of shape Doctor Quest is in now, so the faster you three find him, the better."

--

"This town has had a dubious past," Tetsuo stated as he got to his feet. "When I first came here on vacation two years ago, I had heard tales from many a local about experiments going on in the desert.

"Didn't anyone investigate?" Hadji asked.

"Sure they did," he replied. "According to the sheriff, everyone that has tried to go out there has disappeared."

Jonny stood up and opened the door to the office. "Then our next stop should be with Sheriff Hallon. Let's go see if Jessie is ready."

--

Sheriff Jacob Hallon leaned back in office chair and stared at the ceiling of his office. After spending an hour typing up a police report, he was more than ready to get out of the office.

The phone on his desk rang sharply, causing him to nearly fall out of his chair. He just managed to scramble upright in his chair and grab the receiver. "Hallon here."

The voice on the other side of the line was familiar, but far from friendly. Jacob listened to the voice rant for a few minutes before interrupting. "What? Are you sure? Bannon did make it through surgery; I thought I told you that."

After hearing the heated reply, Jacob hung up the phone. He knew that affiliating with the wrong people would be hazardous to his career but this was getting ridiculous. Something had to be done and fast.

The only problem with that was that he didn't know what to do.

His phone rang again, and this time he took a breath before grabbing the receiver. "Sheriff Hallon."

This time it was Tetsuo from the hospital. Jacob felt some of the tension ease from his body as he listened to the doctor's request before replying. "Sure Tetsuo, I can speak to them. Send them over."

When Jacob hung up the phone this time, he leaned back in his chair in relief.

Maybe there was a way out of this situation after all.


	6. Plans

Chapter 5 - Plans

Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji pulled up on Main Street, and parked near what looked like a corner diner. Across the street from where they were stood the building that they were seeking.

It was a building made out of red brick and seemed nearly as old as time, judging by the old white paint lettering that was near the top of the building, once proclaiming it to be an ice cream factory. However, it was the little sign near the entrance double doors that proudly proclaimed it to be the "Hallon Sheriff Station."

They got out of the jeep that they had borrowed from the doctor and made their way across the street.

It was Hadji who was first to react to the sight of the building. "This is the Hallon Sheiff's station? It looks more like an afterthought to me."

Jonny gave it a once over before replying to Hadji's astonishment. "It's your typical small town, Hadj. Remember the one back home in Rockport is not that much bigger."

Jessie removed her sunglasses and glared at the two of them. "If you two don't mind, I would like to get out of this oppressive heat before we melt."

Jonny mopped his moist brow with the back of his hand. He did not need to be reminded of their conditions.

"Yeah, it almost makes me wish that was truly an ice cream factory instead of what we came here for. Let's get inside."

Crossing the street, they entered the building and found themselves in a small lobby area decorated with industrial grey tile, which further belied its true purpose. From it, a clear glass door opened into a long hallway.

Jonny walked forward and opened the door. "Well, assuming that the sheriff's office is the only thing in the building, it should be easy to find."

Sure enough, once they were in the hallway, the first doorway on their right was a glass door painted with the words "Sheriff's Office".

They opened the door and Jonny took in the surroundings. The office looked like it had once been home to an executive of the factory. The walls were stark white and adorned with various framed certificates and medals. There was just enough room for them to stand comfortably and allow for the massive desk that they saw in front of them. The man that was sitting behind the desk stood up quickly. With short light brown hair covered by what looked like a regulation hat and deeply tanned arms showing from his tan uniform, he didn't seem to be much older than any of them, and yet judging by his expression, the Sheriff seemed to be a man haunted by something.

The sheriff cleared his throat and extended his hand. "Welcome to Hallon. My name is Jacob Hallon, and I am sheriff of this area. Tetsuo told me that you would be stopping by."

Jonny took the man's hand in a firm handshake. "It's is a pleasure to meet you, Sheriff. My name is Jonny Quest, and this is Hadji Singh and Jessie Bannon."

Jacob glance at Jessie smiled slightly. "A pleasure indeed. So what do I owe with the pleasure of your visit?"

"We were hoping to find out if anything strange has been happening in the area. I suppose you do know about what happened to our fathers," Jessie explained.

Sheriff Hallon nodded. "It was quite a shame, Miss Bannon. I have a brother that works for Intelligence-One, and I have been regaled with many a tale of Race Bannon and how the bosses there spoke highly of him. How is he doing?"

"Oh, he is awake and talking, but unfortunately he does not remember much."

Jonny cleared his throat. "Back to the original question, Sheriff Hallon. Has there been anything strange happening in the area?"

The Sheriff turned around to look at him. "Well, some of the locals have been reporting strange sightings out in the desert area. There have also been a couple of stuffed shirts out here with equipment and sensors."

"Stuffed shirts?" Hadji echoed.

"Government types," Jonny added before turning back to Sheriff Hallon. "What kind were they? I-One? CIA? FBI?"

"How in the world should I know?" Sheriff Hallon replied in frustration while throwing up his hands. "They were guys in dark suits and shades. They came through asking a lot of questions of the people in town."

"Then how do you know they were from the government?" Hadji countered.

Sheriff Hallon leaned forward in his chair, slamming his hands down on his desk. "Listen, when you have been sheriff as long as I have, you learn to listen to the people you are protecting. If they say that they were questioned by government types, I don't have any cause not to believe them. Now if you don't mind, please leave."

"But we were wondering if you had a map of the surrounding desert area," Jessie asked.

In response, Sheriff Hallon opened a drawer in his desk and grabbed a small packet. Handing it to Jessie, he scowled. "There. It's your funeral if you go out there, but it's obvious that you are not going to listen to me, so get out."

Jonny frowned before turning back towards the door. Something about this guy was way off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Come on, let's go."

--

They made their way back outside, which by this time the sun was starting to set, casting the sky in brilliant shades of red and orange.

Jonny checked his watch. "Well, it's getting late and we don't have much in way of a plan."

Hadji nodded. "There is that, but I am hungry - we should get some food and plan out our next move."

"We also need to consider taking lodgings for the night. If we are going to investigate this we need a central point in town that we can work from," Jessie pointed out.

"There is the main spa type hotel that the tourists come to stay at here," Hadji suggested. "I saw the flier for it while we were at the hospital."

"Figures," Jonny muttered. "This is a tourist town after all. Okay, I guess it's time for a coin flip to decide who goes where. Anybody got a quarter?"

--

After Jonny lost the coin flip, he headed for the diner while Jessie and Hadji went back to their plane to pick up supplies and then go to the Hotel. He placed the orders for their food and chatted with the waitress while waiting for their text message, which came soon after he left with the food.

Following the directions tested to him, Jonny found his way to the hotel and the third floor, where a quick knock on room 302 was greeted by Hadji opening the door wide to allow him in.

Jonny edged his way into the room and shut the door behind him with a kick of his heel. "I'm back - you know that diner is slow. It took them nearly thirty minutes just to cook our food," He groused as he unloaded the bags of food on the small table in the room. He turned to find that both Jessie and Hadji were sitting on one of the beds, intently staring at the laptop screen. "Okay out with it. What did you two find out?"

Jessie looked at him for a moment before replying. "Since Dr. Quest left his laptop at home, I went ahead and brought it with us in case something on it could be of use."

He frowned. "That's strange. Dad normally doesn't go anywhere without it."

Hadji then cleared his throat. "There is also something else: I checked through Dr. Quest's correspondence and I found the encrypted communication that supposedly Intelligence One used to summon him out here."

Jonny took one look at Jessie's guarded expression and groaned. "I'm not going to like this, am I? Okay, I'll bite, why did you say supposedly?"

"Something about it looked...well it looked off," Jessie replied. "I had Hadji double check it and we both agree that it is a fake. Whoever sent it spoofed a known IP address that I-One uses to send their communications. We are starting to trace it now and-"

Jonny got to his feet and frowned. "Okay, question: If I-One didn't get dad and Race out here, then who did?"

Hadji sat on the bed and stared at the laptop screen. "The way I see it, the quicker we can trace this communication, the better, but I have been running against some resistance back-tracking it to the source."

Jessie stood up and stretched, reaching for one of the food bags. "You two take a crack at it then. I need some food and forty winks, not to mention calling dad at the hospital."

Jonny gave her a long reluctant look. "If you want to spend your time with Race tomorrow-"

Jessie shook her head and cut him off. "Not a chance, hotshot. You need me on this one. Besides, my dad is safe in the hospital right now and is more worried about Dr. Quest. If your dad is out in the desert right now, he's the one in danger from the elements, among other things."

There was no need to verbalize the 'other things'. Jessie saw the storm cloud of emotions cross Jonny's face and she sighed. "We'll find him, Jonny, don't lose hope. He's got three of the brightest minds on his side, you know."

Jonny smiled. "You better get going then. Bright minds like ours have a lot to do tomorrow."

--

Jessie closed the hotel door behind her and fished for her key card in her pocket while crossing to her room.

It was then a hand holding a cloth quickly snaked around Jessie and clamped over her mouth.


	7. Fighting Back

Chapter 6 - Fighting Back

If there was one thing Jessie Bannon learned from all of her years from living with her dad, it was how to protect herself along with protecting Doctor Quest. It had been sort of an unspoken agreement between father and daughter. She would get to pursue the sciences she loved so much while at the same time making sure that no one disturbed Doctor Quest and his work. It saved her dad from having to admit that he wasn't getting any younger and Jessie reported anything unusual to him right away so that he could investigate.

What Jessie did know was that whoever was trying to take her down was not playing fair. As Jessie took in a deep breath in surprise, she took in a sickly sweet smell that nearly made her pass out right there in the hallway. It reminded her of something she encountered long ago, but this wasn't exactly the best time to analyze the situation.

She did her best to steel herself, and then lashed out with a well placed elbow back into her attacker. Jessie heard a groan come from behind her, but the attacker's grip never loosened. She didn't want to take another breath, but she had few options left.

"Hey! How about letting the nice lady go, huh?"

Jessie hadn't heard a door opening, but there was no mistaking Jonny Quest's voice coming from behind them.

Seconds later her attacker released her, and she fell forward to the ground. She was light headed and was finding it hard to push herself up.

Jonny's face filled her blurred vision. "You all right?"

Jessie did her best to wave him off. "I'm okay - go, go!"

--

Jonny didn't feel good about leaving Jessie in that position, but the opportunity to catch her attacker was quickly slipping away.

He turned quickly to Hadji, who was standing in the hallway to their room. "Get Jessie back into our room. I'm going after him."

Before Hadji could reply, Jonny turned and took off after the retreating form of the attacker.

Judging from the retreating form, it was definitely a male he was chasing and whoever he was, he was really moving. Jonny closed within a few feet of the attacker when the man hit the door for the stairwell.

It was only thirty seconds before Jonny hit the same door that opened into a stairwell. He heard footsteps echoing up to him from below and he hurried down the flights of stairs. Everything seemed like it was in slow motion, but Jonny finally spotted the door marked 'lobby' down the last flight of stairs and he rushed to it eagerly.

Jonny tensed as he opened the door to the lobby. He was trying to prepare himself for anything but was more than surprised to find Hadji standing in front of him, looking ready to pounce.

Jonny stepped back and caught his breath. "Woah, easy Hadji, it's only me. Did you-"

Hadji shook his head and finished Jonny's thought. "See him? No. There was no one in the lobby by the time I took the elevator down here."

Jonny sidestepped Hadji and walked out into the lobby area. He looked around the lobby and front desk area for close to five minutes, but save for the attendant at the front desk, there was no one else there.

Finally he heard Hadji's voice behind him. "We should get back to our own room, Jonny. Jessie will be wondering what happened."

Jonny was beginning to wonder that himself as he reluctantly followed Hadji back to the elevator.

--

Jessie sat on one of the beds in the room and leaned back, allowing her head to rest lightly against the wall. The light headed feeling that she encountered earlier was fading, but a pounding headache was quickly taking its place.

She heard a beep at the door and tensed, ready for anything. It was only after Jessie saw the door open and Jonny and Hadji come through that she finally relaxed.

Jonny walked over to her and sat down on the bed. "How are you doing, Jess?"

"I'm fine, Jonny, all I need is a good night's sleep to clear my head," Jessie reassured him. "I take it that he got away?"

Hadji sat down in the chair near the table. "Whoever he was, he was very skilled. Jonny had sight of him until he reached the bottom of the stairwell, while I never saw anyone in the lobby other than an employee of the hotel."

"I don't like this," Jessie muttered, "this guy blends into the woodwork way too easily."

Jonny shook his head. "The doors leading into the stairwell from the other floors are extremely heavy and noisy. I didn't hear the guy open any of them. What we need now are suspects, and that makes me wonder what the good sheriff would have to say about our encounter."

Shaking his head, Hadji pointed out. "If you are following the logic I think you are, Jonny, then Dr. Najima is a viable suspect too. We made no secret of our plans when we spoke to him earlier."

Her head pounding, Jessie interrupted the volley of theories. "Stop. We don't have enough evidence to back up either possibility. For all we know, we could have been followed from the hospital over to the Sheriff's office."

Jonny had to admit that she had a point. "What we really need to do is get out to the desert area outside of town and find dad, but we should wait for first light so there are no surprises."

Jessie massaged her temples as she thought out loud. "We would have to stop at the plane in the morning, but we should also be well armed when we go out there. I have a few 'surprises' to discourage anyone from interfering with us while we are out there."

Jonny smiled. "Race has taught you well."

--

The attacker crossed through the parking lot until he spotted the dark green paneled van in the corner of the lot. The van blended well into the night, but the man knew that someone was waiting for him there. Going around to the driver side window, he paused long enough to knock on the driver door.

Seconds passed before he heard the whir of an automatic window lowering from inside the van. There was no light on inside of the van, so he just barely could make out the feminine form inside the van. She had long, raven black hair that fell to her shoulders, but the man also noticed a small streak of silver hair running down one side of her hair.

However, judging by the scowl on her face, he knew that his fate was sealed. He backpedaled away from the van babbling, trying to avoid the fate that was awaiting him. "Mistress, please, all of them attacked me at once. I am only one man, they did not see me and-"

One minute, and the attacker was pleading for his life, the next he was gasping for air due to the well placed dagger that had been plunged into his neck. One more minute later, and he fell to the ground dead.

The driver's side window whirred back into place and the engine was started. The van then took off from the parking lot, leaving a dead man as the only sign that it had been there at all.

--

_Who is she? All in due time...after all, we need to check in on Dr. Quest in the next chapter._


	8. Nightmares and Confrontations

Chapter 7 - Nightmares and Confrontations

Benton Quest was in a devil of a nightmare. He stood alone in the middle of a vast desert with nothing around him for miles which seemed odd. There was no signs of any vegetation, cacti or otherwise. The ground beneath his feet trembled violently.

He took a few tentative steps forward and called out. "Hello? Sebastian? Anyone?"

The wind around him picked up in intensity and tone, beginning a howl which was grating against his ears. He clapped his hands over his ears, but the howling continued unabated. It was driving him mad. It was-

"Benton!"

Benton's eyes flew open, and then he closed them again just as quickly against a bright glare of light that was striking him directly in the face. He wasn't sure what was happening until he heard Sebastian's voice.

"Benton, good morning to you. I was just making sure that you were still among the land of the living."

He groaned, slowly trying to open his eyes against the glare. "What time is it?"

"Oh, Benton you used to be such an early riser. It is four thirty in the morning. You know, I wasn't aware that I had garnered the interest of Intelligence One once again. Believe me, I was more than surprised when you showed up on my front door unexpectedly. I took it as a sign and an opportunity."

Benton retorted. "Opportunity for what, Sebastian?"

"You have already had a taste of one tenth of the power of my device. It killed your bodyguard after all."

Benton closed his eyes briefly as a flash of anger flowed through him. His memory of the attack on them wasn't clear, and considering how he had been treated so far he wouldn't put it past Sebastian to lie. "I don't believe you."

Sebastian continued." Oh, you'll get to see the body soon enough. In the meanwhile I need your help for some final tweaking of my project."

After all of the years that he had assisted Intelligence One, threats like this were a dime a dozen. Benton debated his options - he knew what Race would want him to do, and he had a feeling he knew what would happen to him regardless of his choice. "I'll take my chances with this hole you've put me in."

Sebastian laughed harshly. "I always knew you were a short-sighted fool, Benton. I just didn't realize that you had a death wish as well. Anyhow, go ahead and do as you will. Give my regards to the desert, Benton. You won't be leaving anytime soon."

The flashlight beam that had invaded his space only moments ago disappeared, and Sebastian's footsteps faded away until Benton was left in silence once more.

Benton leaned back against the wall of the hole and tried not to think about Race or how badly his bound wrists were hurting. What he needed to do was find a way to escape, find someway to signal somebody about the trouble he was in and what Sebastian was doing here.

The only problem with that plan was that the walls of this hole were smooth, there was no immediate chance of escape and the rope binding his wrists didn't have any give to it at all.

As Race might say, the odds are against me. _Maybe a change of view is in order..._

He was sitting in the hole with his legs extended out in front of him. _Maybe if I shift around, I will be able to stand up. _

Benton leaned over to his left and paused, feeling a pins and needles sensation rush through his right leg and hip. _How long have I been down here?_

It was then that he felt something sharp brushing against his shoulder. He leaned back up and twisting around, saw the small rock jutting up from beneath the ground. The top of the rock wasn't extremely sharp, but maybe it would be enough for his purposes.

He maneuvered his body around more until his bound hands were right above the rock and set to work.

--

Jonny Quest shot straight up in his bed at the insistent pounding noise. It took him a moment or two to realize that he wasn't at MIT preparing for mid-terms or anything of that nature. From the gap around their hotel curtains, he could see that it was still dark outside. The pounding however, was growing in intensity and was centered around their door.

From the opposite side of the room, Hadji groaned as he sat up in his own bed. "Some people have no sanctity where sleep is concerned. Do you want to get it or shall I?"

Leaning over to the duffel bag he had at the side of his bed, Jonny grabbed for a dark blue t-shirt and black jeans. He quickly slipped them on before getting to his feet. "I'll do it. I want to see who has such important business that they feel the need to wake us up before the sun's up."

Yawning, he shuffled over to the door and opened it. When Jonny saw who it was, he stepped back wearily. "What a surprise. Sheriff Hallon, to what do we owe the honor of this early morning intrusion?"

From the doorway, Sheriff Hallon scowled before stalking into their room. "Plenty. Approximately an hour ago, the front desk clerk of this hotel was alerted by a patron to a discovery in the parking lot. Somebody was murdered out there, and I find it suspicious that the first murder that has happened in Hallon in over five years just so happens to coincide with your arrival in town, Mister Quest."

By this time Hadji had quickly dressed in a black shirt and jeans. Sitting back down on his own bed he pointed out. "But Sheriff, we have been here all night sleeping."

Sheriff Hallon shook his head. "Now that's funny. According to a security video I was shown by the front desk attendant, Miss Bannon was accosted out in the hallway earlier tonight, but it seems that neither of you bothered to report the incident."

Jonny's suspicions were raised. "We ran the guy off, Sheriff. Our friend is fine and in the hotel room across from ours if you want to check, or maybe you are the one we ran off earlier. You know, he was about your height and build-"

"Jonny-" Hadji warned.

Sheriff Hallon could barely contain his anger. "I don't appreciate the accusation, Mister Quest. You are lucky I don't haul your ass off to jail right now. The forensic team we have brought in from the next county over is having a hard time identifying the dagger anyhow."

Any suspicious thoughts of the sheriff flew out of Jonny's mind. "D-did you say dagger?"

"Yeah," the Sheriff replied, eying him suspiciously. "What would you know about that?"

It took Jonny a moment to breathe even out. He allowed his sleepiness to creep back into his voice to try and belay the growing uneasiness he was feeling. "Sheriff, I have no idea what you are talking about. In fact, if you were so inclined to check the security tapes for the hallways of this hotel, there are probably cameras in the parking lot as well. Why don't you try those and leave us alone? I have a feeling you have nothing concrete anyway, otherwise you would have been wielding handcuffs instead of trying to insult our intelligence."

Sheriff Hallon turned red in the face. "Be forewarned, Mister Quest. I will have my eye on you and your group. If you so much as spit wrong I will haul you back to my jail. Got it?"

Jonny mock saluted then pointed to the door. "Got it, and a good morning to you too."

The sheriff turned and stalked back out of their room, slamming the door behind him. Jonny headed back to his bed and sat down in relief. "I never thought that guy would leave."

"Jonny, I saw your face when he mentioned a dagger. You know that he wanted to make a point, otherwise he would have said knife. You don't think that one of our old enemies is back in the picture, do you?"

Jonny looked at Hadji's face and couldn't miss the concerned look and questioning glance. "I hope not, Hadji. We have enough suspicious players in this game as is."


	9. An Early Start

Chapter 8 - An Early Start

At five in the morning, Hadji opened his eyes to the sound of his travel alarm.

As he sat up in his bed though, he realized that Jonny was already up. Looking around the room, Hadji spotted him at the table in the room. Dressed in a light blue t-shirt and black jeans, Jonny was hunched slightly over one of the laptops that they brought with them.

He eased himself out of bed and grabbed for his duffel bag that he had left at the side of his bed. Sorting through his choices and finally deciding on a khaki colored shirt, he decided to also satisfy his curiosity. "How long have you been up, Jonny?"

"Long enough."

The reply had been all too brief, and it worried him. Hadji got and walked over to where Jonny was sitting.

That was when he got a look at the screen that Jonny was looking at. On it, dozens of emails were open, each looking like they came from Intelligence One. There was something strange about how they were addressed. "Jonny, you have been in contact with Intelligence One?"

Jonny looked at him with a tired grin. "Sounds a bit nuts even for me, right? It's simple, Hadj. Despite all of these years of quiet, I have been keeping in touch with them to make sure things are quiet."

Hadji shook his head. "And you have accused me of being vague before. What do you mean, 'make sure things are quiet'?"

Jonny closed his eyes before replying. "Truthfully? After that adventure in South America, I was paranoid for quite a while. After the Zin twins were taken into custody, I wanted to make sure they never saw the light of day again."

"An understandable reaction," Hadji replied, "But you have emails here dated as early as this morning."

Jonny opened his eyes and started typing away on the keyboard. "While you were still in dreamland, I shot off a few emails to one of my contacts in I-One. He made some checks for me this morning, and found something interesting. It turns out that about a month ago, there was a commotion in the women's block of the federal prison the twins were being held at. No one thought much about it, and everything seemed fine, but when a more detailed roll call was held on that same day, hours later, they found that the cells holding them both contained miniaturized holographic generators, feeding images of them pacing their cells."

Hadji's eyes widened. "You mean they have escaped?"

"Authorities have been unable to find them so far, based on my contact's reports," Jonny replied simply as he powered down the laptop and closed it. "You better get dressed Hadji. We still have work to do."

--

About an hour later, Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji stopped off at the diner in town and slipped into a booth near the door.

After they had placed their orders with the waitress, Jessie took a look at the two of them and shook her head. "Geez, what is wrong with you two? Neither of you look like you got much sleep at all."

Jonny stifled a yawn and replied. "You wouldn't either, especially if you had the pleasure of the sheriff's company earlier this morning."

"What? Okay, would either of you two care to explain?"

Jonny and Hadji waited until their food was delivered. In-between bites of breakfast, the two of them related the previous events of the night to her, make sure to include what they had found out about the twins. When they were done, Jessie was shaking her head in amazement. "I don't like this. It feels like we are being setup. Maybe we should call for more help."

"Considering that the main authority in this town is someone who already thinks that we have something to do with a murder, that might not be a good idea," Hadji cautioned.

"I agree," Jonny concurred, as he finished the last of his breakfast. "We still have the jeep that we've borrowed from doctor Najima loaded up with supplies. We have a good starting point set, correct?"

Jessie nodded. "Hadji and I had a chance to plot that out while you got dinner for us last night. I have it marked on the map."

"Good," Jonny declared. "Once you two finish your breakfast, then we will be on our way."

Once they had finished their food, Jessie left a generous tip and leaving the diner, they all piled into the Jeep that they had parked nearby. It was a model that was far from new, but Doctor Najima made it clear that it was theirs to use while they were there. Dark brown in color, it almost blended into the darkness, but as the sun started to peek over the horizon, it was bringing out the metallic qualities of the paint.

Hadji slid into the back with the supplies that they had packed while Jonny took the driver seat and Jessie took the seat beside Jonny.

Jonny quickly started the jeep, and they took off. "Okay, next stop, out of town, and hopefully one step closer to finding dad."

Hadji settled back in his seat and managed to stretch out his legs, despite the amount of supplies that they had brought. It was only a few minutes into their journey, but he looked out back from where they had came and easily spotted the red truck that was following them, along with who was driving. "My friends, we are being followed."

Jessie looked over her shoulder discreetly and noticed the same thing Hadji had. "It looks like the good sheriff is interested in our activities. We don't have time for confrontations, Jonny. I heard the weather forecast - it's going to hit one hundred degrees before noon."

Jonny turned back ahead and accelerated on ahead. "Then it's decided - we keep on going. We've got to the desert area outside of town before sunrise to give us enough search time. If the good sheriff decides to take an active interest, then we will have a talk."

--

Jacob Hallon watched in interest as the jeep he had been tailing took off like a shot for the edge of town. He pondered his choices, figured that they were few, and continued to follow his targets. He had ditched his offical uniform in favor of a simple red short sleeved shirt and jeans - he could simply state that he was out checking on some leasds informally or taking a nice day off.

On his ear, the Bluetooth headset he was wearing chirped and Jacob's heart plummeted to the pit of his stomach. He quickly lifted a hand from the steering wheel and touched it quickly to answer the call. "H-hello?"

Light breathing, then a feminine voice he was sure that he wouldn't hear again. "Jacob??"

It was her. She was alive, thank the heavens. "Amy, are you all right? Where are you?"

But as before, instead of letting her talk, her captors yanked her rudely away from the phone, making Amy squeal in pain. Jacob's anger rose as he heard the familiar purr of the main captor he had been talking to before. "Mister Hallon, I do hope you have enjoyed your talk with your sister."

He couldn't quite keep the contempt out of his voice. "Listen, bitch. If you or your sister even harms one hair on my sister's head, I will make sure you never see the light of day again. Are we clear?"

Judging by the full blown laughter he heard in reply, Jacob knew he was dealing with things that were slowly spiraling out of control. With a muttered curse, he yanked the headset off of his ear and threw it into the passenger seat of his car in a fit of disgust.

All he had to go on right now was Jonathon Quest's search for his father. The Zin sisters had made it clear what they wanted to happen from the encounter. But, if Jacob did what they asked, there was no gurantee that anyone would survive, judging by his father's tales of what had gone down in the desert outside of town before.

With a heavy sigh, Jacob stomped down on his accelerator and raced to keep up with his targets.

* * *

_So the Sheriff is a reluctant pawn it seems. How will this play out? All I can say is that I will have the next chapter up as soon as I can, work and family obligations permitting._


	10. Search For Answers

Chapter Nine - Search For Answers

Thanks to Jessie's navigating, Jonny guided the jeep out of the heart of Hallon and onto smaller roads that seemed to quickly narrow even further. "Jessie, where are you leading us? These roads seem to be privately owned."

"The Federal government owns them, Jonny," Jessie countered, "A little online research of the area showed that they used part of the desert as a military base. There are too many confidential files out there on this area to see what they were doing with it specifically, but if your dad knows the area, then we have to assume a certain amount of scientific experiments went down here."

"It's a little too pat if you ask me," Jonny countered warily. He checked the rear view window and noticed one conspicuous absence. "When did we lose our tail?"

"About a mile ago," Hadji answered with a yawn. "I did not see where he turned off."

"This just keeps getting better and better." Jonny replied glumly. He slowed the jeep down until he saw a small rectangular structure a few yards ahead. "Is that a - guard shack?"

"Yeah, but abandoned by the looks of its condition," Jessie agreed. "Let's stop there and check the map."

Jonny slowed the Jeep down until they came to stop beside the guard shack. Shutting off the engine, he got out, shielding his eyes from the glare of the morning sun. "Whew, it already feels like it is boiling out here."

Hadji climbed out of the back and stepped out, keeping his eye on the guard shack. "It looks like no one has been here for years."

With map in hand, Jessie hopped out and motioned to the shack. "Looks like there is a table in there. Let's look at the map in there."

The inside of the guard shack was very minimal. There was a half table and one lone window facing out onto the road that they had just traveled.

Jessie unfolded the massive map and did her best to spread it out on the table.

The three of them then crowded around it, and started their planning.

"From what dad told me," Jessie started, pointing at a spot on the map, "There's a research building not far from here that they were making their way to. That was where Sebastian Warner was supposed to have his base of operations."

Jonny looked at the map and did the calculations in his head. "That's at least ten minutes from here by Jeep. For it being in such an isolated spot, dad and Race were fed some pretty specific information. Are you two sure the communications did not come from I-One?"

Hadji nodded. "Positive. We have had enough communications from them over the years, and despite their scrambling technologies and secrets, Intelligence One has always followed a definitive pattern."

As Jonny listened to what Hadji was saying, he noticed a worried look cross Jessie's face. "Jessie, what else did your dad tell you?"

"Er- he couldn't remember much after being in the desert for so long," she replied quickly. "Since we know where we want to start looking, how about we use this as our base of operations and head out?"

Jonny exchanged glances with Hadji. There was more to this, but a lone thermometer mounted to the inside wall of the shack was reading ninety - nine degrees. He would simply have to put his suspicions on hold.

"Okay. Jessie, make sure the weapons are ready. We don't know how long we will be using the Jeep before we may have to get out on foot. Hadji, have our packs ready at a moment's notice."

Folding the map back up, they all got back into the jeep and began driving in the general direction of the building that they had spotted on the map.

They made good time, easily spotting the building in the distance. Jonny closed in until they were about twenty feet from the building and then pulled to a stop.

As far as military buildings went, it seemed ordinary enough. Jonny had stayed in them long enough over the years. Gray in color, the building seemed as big as the gym he frequented near the campus. It was definitely big enough for a laboratory. The roof the building was flat, save for an antenna stuck in the middle of roof that seemed to span at least twenty feet into the sky.

As Jonny evaluated the structure, he heard Hadji comment. "Seems to be an ordinary enough building."

Jonny shook his head and grinned. "Some things never change. Hadji, if you think that building is ordinary enough, then by all means you can be the first one in there. I see the same thing you do, but for the record, remember that this is the building that dad and Race approached and look where they ended up."

Hadji looked over at him and grinned. "Some things do change, Jonny. Only a few years ago you would have been more than willing to rush in there, danger or no."

Jonny shrugged his shoulders. "Call it 'intuition' if you will, but something's not right here."

"Look, If you two have done enough reminiscing," Jessie intoned dryly, handing them both Sig-Sauer automatic pistols. "Let's go see what we can find out, shall we?"

Hadji motioned to Jonny, and handed him a watch. "Before we do that, let me give you this scanner watch. I brought it on the off chance Dr. Quest was still wearing a signal watch when he disappeared."

He looked at Hadji sheepishly. "Thanks, Hadj. I - didn't think to check that."

Jonny put on the watch and switched it on. He heard a faint beep emanate from it. "I'm picking up a faint signal now. Maybe his watch was damaged when they were attacked." He then got out of the jeep and looked back at the building. "We have our starting point. Let's go."

They got out of the jeep and headed towards the building. Jonny walked slowly, putting some distance between Hadji and Jessie. The air around them was silent, save for the occasional cry of a bird.

"I'm going to head towards the back of the building to scope things out," Jessie called out.

"Okay, but be careful," Jonny called out.

As Jessie ran ahead, Hadji took a hard look at the building again. "I think you are right, my friend. Everything around here seems too quiet."

Jonny chuckled. "Now I don't feel so paranoid."

He motioned Hadji to follow him, and they both cautiously walked towards the building, pistols in hand.

Suddenly, Hadji felt a rumbling beneath his feet. "Jonny-"

"I know, I know - I feel it too. Hold on!"

"To what?"

It was a valid question. They were about halfway between the building and the Jeep, with nothing but open ground between the two. Jonny struggled to keep his balance as the ground around him rumbled. It was when he chanced a look at the building that they were trying to get to that he saw what looked like a laser shooting out from the top of the antenna. The beam emanating from it was striking the ground and moving straight towards him!

Jonny didn't have much time. He half walked - half crawled until he found himself behind the only other shelter available to him in the immediate area. Hiding behind the jeep wasn't his first choice, but considering Race's condition in the hospital, he didn't want to take any chances with this beam that was accompanying these tremors.

Moments later, the Jeep exploded in a ball of flame.

* * *

_Edit: I already had a chapter eight, now didn't I? ~facepalm~ It has now been corrected._


	11. Regrouping

Chapter 10 - Regrouping

Groaning, Jonny struggled to filter out the roaring in his ears. He had been forced to the ground and nearly deafened from the explosion of their vehicle. Luckily he had managed to get a few feet away before the blast struck, but he could feel the heat of explosion across his back.

"Jonny!"

The ringing was going away now, and eventually he heard Hadji's frantic shouts filter through.

Groaning, he pushed himself up to a sitting position, only to wince as he felt a wave of pain shoot through his right arm. Glancing down, Jonny realized numbly that some shrapnel from the Jeep must have hit him, for he spotted a long gash starting from his shoulder and nearly reaching his elbow. It didn't seem to be too deep, but it was still oozing blood.

Seconds later, Jonny felt Hadji pulling at his other arm. With the leverage, he managed to make it to his feet. His head now clear, Jonny looked around at the flaming wreckage of the Jeep. "Well, there goes our ride - we need to see if there is anything salvageable from this mess."

"You are forgetting something," Hadji pointed out, "an explosion like this should have brought Jessie running."

Jonny realized what Hadji had meant - there was no sign of Jessie. Looking around on the ground, he saw that the pistol he had been carrying and decided against it, figuring the fire might have damaged it - or worse.

He took off running to the back of the building while calling over his shoulder. "See what you can recover, Hadji. I'll find Jessie."

--

Jessie Bannon wasn't sure what to expect when she had made her way around the back of the building. When the ground tremors hit, she was more than surprised when she lost her footing and fell against the building hard.

Dazed, she held her position. When the tremors finally subsided, Jessie pushed herself up into a sitting position, all the while trying to ignore the wave of dizziness that she was feeling. "Oww."

Whirling her head around, Jessie spotted Jonny standing beside her. "Wow, you look like hell. What happened?"

Jonny extended an arm to her. "Apparently this building has the power to transmit an earthquake of some sort. It blew up the Jeep. Hadji is trying to scavenge any supplies he can. The question now is, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Jessie replied quickly. With Jonny's help, Jessie got to her feet and dusted herself off. When she leaned down to pick up the pistol she brought with her, another wave of dizziness passed through her.

Stumbling, she was brought up short by Jonny.

He shook his head and then leaned down to pick up the pistol that Jessie was going for. "Yeah, you look like you took a knock to the head. If you don't mind, I'll hold onto this. Lean on me if you need to and let's go find out what Hadji has found."

--

Despite the heat, Hadji managed to drag one singed pack away from the burning wreckage of the Jeep when he spotted Jonny leading Jessie back towards him.

He rushed over to them. "I managed to save the pack with some water and the first aid kit, and judging by the way you two look, it will be needed."

Jessie stopped for a moment and then looked over at Jonny. "I need a moment to clear my head, but we need to get Jonny's arm disinfected and wrapped up. Can't risk it getting infected out here, and it will probably need stitches when we get back to civilization."

Jonny had started to protest when Hadji grabbed his injured arm.

Pain radiated through Jonny's arm, and he fought not to pass out. "Owww! Okay, okay, you made your point. Hurry up and let's do this."

As Hadji set off to check the building out. Jonny used the side of the building to brace himself as Jessie tended to his arm. By the time she had finished, Jonny was shaking and pale.

"Are you sure that you are okay?" Jessie asked worriedly. "Maybe we should backtrack."

He shook his head firmly. "If you haven't noticed, our ride is gone. Even the good sheriff is no where in the area. We are closer to my dad. I say we find him and then get the hell out of here."

Moments later, Hadji approached them. "I have had a look around the building. There is a lot of transmitter equipment here, but no sign of life."

"Figures," Jonny muttered as he looked back towards the scanner watch he had on his wrist. It seemed to survive the attack, and was still reading the weak signal that was coming from his dad's watch. "Our supplies are nearly gone, our ride is gone, and someone just tried to kill us. What else could go wrong?"

--

Benton was getting tired. The ropes that bound his wrists were finally starting to give with his efforts of rubbing them against the upturned rock he found, but it was taking too much time. Despite the depth of the hole, he could feel heated air reaching him, and it only served to sap what little strength he had left.

He stopped for a moment to rest, and that was when he heard a voice coming from the top of the hole.

"Dr. Quest?"

He peered up through the gloom and spotted a man looking over at him. It took Benton a few minutes to recognize the face and voice that went along with it. "Sherriff Hallon?"

"Are you all right? Who put you down there?" the sheriff called out.

Groaning, Dr. Quest redoubled his efforts and managed to cut through his bonds before he called out again. "It's a long story. Is there any way you can get me out here?"

"I've got some rope in my truck. I'll be right back."

As the Sheriff's face disappeared from view, Dr. Quest made an attempt to get to his feet. His dormant joints and muscles ached in protest. Using the wall, he managed to pull himself into a standing position - and that was when he heard the sound of gunshots.


	12. Confrontation

Chapter 11 - Confrontation

Instead of following Jonny, Sheriff Jacob Hallon decided to follow his instincts. He had heard the reports of Sebastian Warner roaming the abandoned base, and he had no cause to follow up on them - until now.

He knew the general layout of the abandoned military base, and decided to try a hunch. Close to one of the borders of the base, there was a hangar that had been converted to a series of laboratories. If some old fool was going to be out there making trouble, Jacob was sure that this location would be his best bet.

Jacob pulled up beside the one corner of the building. Getting out of his truck, he kept one hand on his pistol holstered by his side. The perimeter near the building seemed quiet enough, but it was the outcropping of red rock near the building that caught his attention. He knew that there was numerous rock formations like it throughout the area, some as tall as mountains. However, it was the hole in the rock right at ground level that had his interest for two reasons: It looked to be man made, and Sebastian Warner just walked out of it and back into the building.

As quietly as he could, Jacob left his vantage point and dashed for the opening in the rock. He was curious to see what would have Sebastian coming into a formation like this.

Leaving the sunlight behind, he took a step into the cave. It took a moment for Jacob's eyes to adjust to the near darkness. He took another step forward and stumbled to the ground, and it was when he picked himself up that he spotted the hole in the ground a few feet away. Scrambling forward, he looked down into the hole and spotted a man at the bottom. "Dr. Quest?"

His suspicions were confirmed when Dr. Quest looked up at him. Confusion was written all over his face. "Sheriff Hallon?"

That was one mystery solved. Jacob noticed in the gloom that Dr. Quest seemed to be tied up. _What is Sebastian up to?_

"Are you all right?" He called out. "Who put you down there?"

"It's a long story. Is there any way you can get me out here?"

Jacob got to his feet, calling out. "I've got some rope in my truck. I'll be right back."

When he stepped out of the cave to head to his truck, Jacob suddenly heard a quick explosive sound. Jumping back, dust kicked up in front of him. He knew the sound of gunfire when he heard it and it was getting way too close for comfort.

Swearing, Jacob turned and rushed back through the mouth of the cave.

--

Jonny, Hadji, and Jessie trudged on through the heat, continuing to follow the signal from the watch.

Suddenly Jonny stopped dead in his tracks. "I hear something. Listen."

Jessie stopped and listened, hearing echoes of something in the direction that they were heading in. "Was that gunfire?"

After a moment Jonny shook his head. "We're still too far out. Let's go."

--

A few yards away, Melana and Anaya Zin sat in a Jeep that was partially hidden behind a smaller building. They had been keeping tabs on Jonny and his group for close an hour, and it was leaving Anaya downright restless.

Twirling a strand of dark black hair around her finger, Anaya's patience nearly snapped. "Melana, when are we going to see action? Are we going to find Sebastian Warner or not?"

Melana was driving the Jeep, but for the last half hour she had been deliberatly keeping her distance from their quarry, even going so far as to watch them through a pair of binoculars. "We came here for an earthquake weapon, sister, but I think we also have another prize to claim. Besides, I think it is time we settle the score with Jonny Quest."

At the mention of Jonny's name, Anaya snarled. "He's the prize? What are you talking about? He killed our father - I want nothing to do with him."

She watched as Melana put down the binoculars she had been holding and smiled. "Yes, but before we carted back to the United States years ago, I had quite an interesting conversation with one of our contacts. It seems that Jonny Quest was dead soon after his arrival to the hospital in South America on the day the temple was raided."

Anaya's eyes widened at the obvious implication. "HE was given the snake serum? How do you know?"

"Our contact told of quite an interesting coincidence. It seems that he was at the hospital when Jonny was brought in. One minute Jonny Quest was declared dead by the doctors, the next a native child sporting a snake tattoo is spotted running from the room and Jonny is found alive."

There had been many a time over their incarceration where they had been apart, but normally Melana never withheld information like this. Anaya rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"Relax Anaya, It was something I wanted to be sure of before I shared it with you. I know you have wanted revenge as have I, and this is the opportunity we have been waiting for. We will have a means to exact our revenge and rule the world."

The statements piqued Anaya's interest. "I assume you mean us to kidnap Jonny for testing then. What do you have in mind?"

As an answer, Melana grabbed a small case that was hooked to her belt and opened it, extracting a tiny dart and holding it up for Anaya to see. "When we obtain the earthquake weapon, we will then shoot this dart at Jonny. It contains a fast acting poison - in a normal human this poison would kill them in less than three minutes."

"Ah, so if he survives, we kidnap Jonny and study him. But what if he doesn't survive?"

Melana smiled. "It's one less problem to worry about - remember we still have the sheriff's sister to deal with."

Taking a look in the back seat, Melana checked on their captive. "Stop struggling, Miss Hallon. You will be reunited with your brother soon enough."

"Sister, they're on the move."

Melana turned her attention back to the spot that they were watching and noticed that Jonny and his friends had indeed taken off again. Cranking the Jeep, she pulled out from their hiding place and trailed after them.

* * *

_Motives are revealed and our players are converging in one spot. What will happen? You shall see._

_My apologies for the delays. A pinched nerve had been the bane of my existance of late, along with a writer's block the size of chicago. Things seem to be back on track though. More later._


	13. Convergence

Chapter 12 - Convergence

Sheriff Jacob Hallon only just made it back into the safety of the cave before he heard another volley of gunfire. Sebastian Warner sure wasn't playing any games.

Keeping himself flat against the wall of the cave nearest to the entrance, Jacob quickly withdrew his pistol from his holster and kept it low and at his side. He was limited in ammunition to what was in his gun, and he didn't want to waste it.

Seconds later, he heard an older voice call out. "Who's there?"

Jacob shook his head in amazement. It figures that he would have someone who would shoot and then ask questions later. "I'm Sheriff Jacob Hallon," he shouted, "and who am I talking to?"

The reply was sharp and menacing. "I am Sebastian Warner and you're the one that's trespassing, Sheriff. Leave now and I won't shoot you dead."

Considering how close he came, Jacob didn't want to test the old man's aim again. The only problem was, he didn't know how well Sebastian was armed. "Umm, Sebastian - hate to break it to you, but we are on an abandoned military base that is still owned by the government, so you're the one who's trespassing."

Silence. It made Jacob more than a little nervous because it meant he had no clue where Sebastian was. He tried to engage the old man again. "I know what you have been up to out here, Sebastian. Making some crazy machine-"

"IT'S NOT CRAZY!"

Gunshots followed the shout, then suddenly a loud curse. Had Sebastian's gun jammed? Jacob knew he couldn't stay in the cave forever. The hanger building and his truck were only a few feet away from his position.

He knew what he had to do.

Saying a quick prayer and keeping a tight grip on his pistol, Jacob kept his head low and quickly rushed towards his truck. Maybe he could still get to the rope in the back of his truck and get Dr. Quest out of the hole.

Reaching the back of his truck, Jacob made a move to climb into the truck bed to find the rope.

Suddenly there was a quick rustling noise from behind him. Jacob was going to turn around to see what it was, but then he heard the shouted warning.

"Look out!"

Ducking low, Jacob whirled around with his weapon pointed outward in time to find Jonny Quest decking Sebastian Warner with a clean right cross.

The old man's eyes rolled back and he crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Jacob watched as Jonny checked to see if Sebastian was truly unconscious. The young man then looked up at him with a grin. "He was about to get the drop on you, so it's lucky we showed up. Nice to see you alive and kicking, Sheriff. If you have some rope, we will secure this nut job for you."

Releasing the breath he had been holding, Jacob holstered his weapon as he noticed Jessie and Hadji coming out of hiding to join Jonny. "I'm sorry I was hard on you earlier, but they gave me no choice. They have kidnapped my sister Amy."

--

Jonny had a suspicion of who Sheriff Hallon was talking about, but he had to be sure. "'They' who?"

"Melana and Anaya Zin. About a month before you came here, they contacted me, asking questions about Sebastian Warner. They were interested in the work he was doing out here," Jacob explained as he searched the back of his truck and came up with a length of rope.

Hadji grabbed the rope the Sheriff offered and moved back to help Jonny tie up Sebastian. "We received a taste of what Mister Warner was working on. The smoking ruins of our Jeep back there are proof."

Jacob began, "Well I can give you guys a ride after we call for backup."

A loud explosion nearby rocked the ground and the truck. Jessie whirled around in surprise. "What in the world? Everyone, get down!"

As they all ducked down, another explosion sounded, this one closer than the last.

"First it is a man with an earthquake machine, now what?" Hadji asked.

Jacob took charge and motioned to them. "Stay here, all of you. I'm going to check it out."

And with that, he used the truck as cover and edged towards the front of the building, hoping to catch sight of who was trying to use them for target practice. When he saw who it was, anger surged through him.

Around the front of the building, Melana Zin stood out in the open with a smile on her face. She looked to be armed with some sort of large rifle. There was a Jeep parked closely behind her, and Jacob spotted Anaya in the front and someone that looked like Amy in the back seat.

Reluctantly, he backtracked to the others and reported what he saw. "I don't know if that weapon I saw was making those explosions but if it is, we have a problem on our hands."

Jonny nodded sadly. "That would be on par with their devious tactics. What about my dad, Sheriff Hallon, have you seen him?"

Jacob jerked a thumb back towards the cave that he had vacated earlier. "There's a hole in that cave that's pretty deep. I found him while following a hunch and found Sebastian out here. He seemed to be okay, but the quicker we can wrap this up and get backup out here, the better. The air is pretty stagnant in there."

Hadji looked down at the unconscious form of Sebastian Warner on the ground in front of them. "Well, at least we have one subdued opponent. The question is, how do we get to Melana and Anaya without endangering Sherriff Hallon's sister or our position?"

It was Jessie who glanced around at the terrain and towards the area where Melana stood. A potential plan formed in her mind. "Guys, listen up. I think I have an idea."

--

_Muwhah- I actually have this piece totally finished (well technically one paragraph is left, but still…). There are two more chapters left to reveal. Stay tuned, won't you? ;) _


	14. Resolutions

Chapter 13 - Resolutions

Melana Zin knew that she had her quarry. Tracking Jonny and his companions to the hangar building had been simple enough.

When she and Anaya had arrived, Melana had spotted the Sheriff's truck, but no other visible signs of anyone. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she decided to speed things along. After ordering Anaya to stay with the prisoner, Melana got out of their Jeep and quickly grabbed a laser percussion rifle from the back of the Jeep.

She took a few steps forward, then fired two shots into the ground and smiled when she heard the resulting explosions. This technology was more than worth the time it took to steal it, and soon she would add an earthquake generator to their list.

Melana shouted to the air, knowing that she had a captive audience. "I know you're here, Jonny Quest. Bring us Sebastian Warner and we'll let your little entourage leave in peace!"

She waited for a moment, knowing that Jonny normally couldn't pass up a challenge.

When Melana heard nothing however, she became more than a little impatient. "Don't make me come after you."

Suddenly Melana felt an unnatural gust of wind behind her, and she quickly whirled around to find Hadji standing there before her. "You!?"

--

Hadji had managed to climb on top of the building and spotted Melana pacing around in front of the building.

With a smile, he chanted words that a traveling monk taught him a month ago.

No sooner than he finished that a fierce gust of wind centered on his position, picking him up and carrying him over and behind Melana.

When he landed on the ground, Hadji couldn't help but smile when Melana whirled around to face him.

"Don't look so surprised, Melana," he taunted, "We have had time to learn a few things while you were in prison."

Scowling, she took a step towards him. "I will wipe that smile off of your face."

Hadji watched in satisfaction as Melana was brought up short by an arm snaking tightly around her neck, forcing her to stop.

He pointed to a spot just behind her. "You know, Melana, it is good to know that you still fall for the same distractions. Are you okay back there, Jonny?"

Jonny was struggling to keep Melana restrained, but he was smiling as he replied. "Right as rain, Hadj. Let's see what secrets she's hiding, shall we?"

--

Anaya watched her sister get surrounded. She didn't want to leave their hostage alone, but it was obvious that Melana was outnumbered.

She thought for a second more before remembering that she never abandoned her sister in a time of need before.

Decision made, Anaya grabbed for a pistol she had laying on her lap and made a move to get out the Jeep.

"I don't think you want to do that."

Anaya turned in some surprise at the voice beside her to find Jessie Bannon standing in her way of escape. "You think you've got the drop on me? I think not!"

She then turned, intending on leaping out of the opposite side, when she saw Jacob Hallon come into view. He stood with his arms crossed and fierce look on his face.

"No way out Anaya," Jacob growled. "Surrender your weapon or else."

Anaya instinctively reacted, moving to lash out with a kick.

That was when she felt a sharp blow to the back of her neck. Pain flooded her senses, and unconsciousness took her quickly.

--

Jessie Bannon let out the breath that she had been hold as she watched Anaya go still. "We were damned lucky."

A muffled squeal from the back seat got her attention. The young woman was gagged and her hands tied behind her back, but Jessie could see the resemblances between her and the Sheriff. Where he had short brown hair, hers was almost shoulder length, and she seemed to share the same smoky grey eyes that her brother had.

Jessie edged her way into the backseat and got behind her. "Amy Hallon, I presume. I'll have you free in a moment."

It took her a few minutes, but once Jessie freed her bonds, Amy quickly ripped off her gag and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck. Her voice clearly held a relieved sigh. "Jacob. I never thought I'd see you again."

Jacob smiled in relief. "Likewise."

Jessie was reluctant to break up the family reunion, but a look over her shoulder at the other fight in progress was making her nervous and scared for Jonny and Hadji. "If you two don't mind," Jessie spoke up as she transferred the ropes over and started using them to tie up Anaya. "I'm worried about my friends. I want to go check on them."

Jacob nodded, reluctantly breaking away from his sister's embrace. He picked up the pistol that Anaya had dropped and carefully placed it in Amy's hands. "Here - keep this pointed at her. If she makes a move to escape, shoot her. Jessie, let's go."

As they exited the Jeep, Jessie looked at Jacob. "Are you sure about leaving her with Anya?"

Jacob chuckled. "My sister's won the county fair Sharpshooter award for five years running - has the blue ribbons at home to back it up, too. She's no stranger around guns, believe me. Now we better check on your friends and call for backup."

--

Melana seethed under Jonny's grasp. However, the way he was holding her around the neck still left one of her hands free. If she could just reach the dart without alerting either of them-

She made her move, slowly sliding her free arm down to the small pouch at her waist containing the poison dart. _Closer, closer - Soon enough I will know, Jonny. Either you will die, or you will be my greatest lab experiment._

--

Hadji had decided to check the sheriff's truck to see if there was any more rope, but after a quick check came up empty. Incredibly, Jonny still seemed to have a decent hold on Melana.

However, it was the slight movement Hadji spotted from Melana that made him nervous. "Jonny, watch out! Melana is making a move!"

And just as soon as he shouted the warning, chaos erupted.

--

_Heheheh, umm, remember the one paragraph I mentioned? It kinda mutated… the way the pacing has turned out now, it looks like there will be two more chapters. Hopefully the cliffhanger will keep you guessing till I can finalize one last scene. More later! _


	15. Unsettling Discoveries

Chapter 14 - Unsettling Discoveries

Jonny knew better than to take his attention off of Melana, but when Hadji shouted the warning to him, he quickly made a check and realized that she was trying to take advantage of having one hand free. She was twisting in his grasp and seemed to be going for something clipped to her waist.

"Oh no you don't!" Jonny shouted as he tried twisting around to head her off. Unfortunately, he already had his hands full trying to keep her controlled by his arm being around her neck.

Suddenly, Jonny felt a stinging sensation in his right arm. Cursing, he quickly released Melana and staggered back, trying to brush away the offending object causing the discomfort. When he reached his leg he found what seemed to be a small dart. He pulled it out quickly and made a quick evaluation. It was small, not much larger than a toothpick, and due to its size seemed kind of minimal for what Melana normally used. What was going on here?

"You going for toys now, Melana?" Jonny taunted, "What are you trying to do to me?"

"You will see soon enough, Jonny Quest," Melana shot back with a sneer. "Or is it more like you've lost your edge now that you are a man?"

His instincts were screaming that this wasn't like her at all. Jonny was feeling some residual heat from where her dart had penetrated his leg, but otherwise he seemed to feel fine. He had to find out what was going on. "Cheap taunts don't bother me, Melana, and besides, you are not going anywhere, so there's no use in fighting it out. You're surrounded. Hadji is right behind you and unless I miss my guess, Jessie and Sheriff Hallon have your sister Anaya in custody. You're through."

Strangely enough Melana didn't seem to be angry or eager to attack. Simply standing in front of him, she made a move to check her watch and when she noticed what time it was, Melana smirked, her tone one of amazement. "Well, well, look who is still upright. So the tale is true."

Seconds later, Jonny felt a stabbing pain in the back of his head. Blinking, he tried to clear his head, but the pain would not go away. _So THAT's what she was waiting on._

Jonny tried taking a breath to steady himself and asked. "You never answered my question - what did you do to me?"

Melana walked closer to him until they were eye to eye. "Oh, I was just testing a little theory of mine. You see, there was a contact in South America that came to me with an interesting story. He was a medical doctor from the United States there to provide services less impoverished hospitals couldn't normally provide. He told me you were brought in with a fatal gunshot wound."

Jonny heard what she had said all right, but one word stood out above the rest. "Fatal?"

Melana shrieked in laughter. "For someone who soaked up so much information in my father's service, you can be incredibly dense. You died that day, Jonny Quest. That should have been the end of it all, but my contact told me that someone found their way to your room and gave you the fabled snake serum of the legendary snake cult. You do know what that means, I hope."

He nodded numbly, but it was still hard to believe. _I've been given eternal life?_ "That still doesn't explain what you shot at me."

Melana shook her head and replied in a matter of fact tone. "Oh, that was a dart of my own creation. It was dipped in a poison that would kill a man of your size in about three minutes flat." She made a grand show of showing her watch to Jonny. "Since it is well past three minutes since I shot you with it, I guess that confirms my information, and made it more than worth the price of luring your father out here for the access to the earthquake weapon."

Angered, Jonny attempted to rush at Melana but stumbled, clutching his head in painful agony.

Suddenly Hadji was there, catching him mid-stride and holding him steady. "Easy, Jonny. Melana could be lying-"

"She's not," Jonny bit out in pain. Call it intuition, call it being around the twins enough in the past, but the expressions on Melana's face told him enough: He should have already been dead.

Jonny supposed that her little revelation should have fazed him more, but all he could currently process was the painful headache he did receive from the attack and the unsettling fact that no one had clued him into this bit of news before now.

He felt another set of hands close around his shoulders and then Jessie's calm voice. "Come on, Jonny. Sheriff Hallon has another patrol car and an ambulance on the way for Doctor Quest. He's promised that you and Hadji can ride with him."

Before Jonny could even reply to her, he heard one last frenzied shout from Melana. "This isn't over! Our contact is still out there. When he doesn't hear from us at the appointed time, he will know to take care of any loose ends. He's quite a danger in his own right, so I would be cautious if I were you."

He looked at Melana with a sense of unease as she was being handcuffed and wrestled to the ground by Sheriff Hallon.

--

Jonny kept his distance from the efforts of the authorities. He had heard the noises of additional cruisers which he assumed to be county deputies come to back Sheriff Hallon. He had also heard the distinct whine of an ambulance, and he knew things were finally getting under control.

It was close to twenty minutes before the pain he was feeling was starting to edge off to a more tolerable level. Blinking, he found could actually focus on shapes and forms. Hadji and Jessie came into easy focus, along with the ambulance attendants coming out of the cave wheeling a stretcher.

He half walked - half staggered over to them, and noticed that they had his dad strapped into the stretcher and an IV already started. With some relief, Jonny noticed that his dad, despite being pale, was wide awake and seemed to be alert.

Jonny looked down at him. There was so much he wanted to say and yet only a sense of relief came to mind. "Dad, you're okay."

"Jonny."

Jonny smiled despite the dull throbbing in his head. The smile coupled by the warmth of his father's voice told him all he needed to know. He leaned forward and hugged his dad. "I'm glad we got here in time."

One of the attendants wheeling the stretcher spoke up. "We have to get going, Mister Quest. Give us a minute to load your father and then we will make room for you and your friend."

Jonny couldn't help but laugh at the simple statement. Being called Mister Quest was going to take quite some getting used to.

--

Once they arrived at the hospital, Jonny and Hadji got out of the ambulance with the attendants and followed them as they wheeled Dr. Quest into the emergency room. After a quick cursory examination, the doctor kicked them out of the room so that they could administer him an IV of fluids. Reluctantly, they walked through the ER doors and back into the lobby to wait.

Jessie was nervously pacing the lobby but once she spotted them, she quickly pounced and demanded information. "How's Doctor Quest?"

"The ER doctor is checking him now and is giving him another IV of fluids," Hadji replied. "What about the sheriff?"

"The county sheriff showed up soon after you two left with Doctor Quest. Sheriff Hallon said that they should be meeting up with the FBI in about an hour to turn the sisters over. Sebastian is being held to be transferred to Intelligence-One custody. Amy is fine and at was being driven home by her brother, so it looks like everything is finally under control."

Despite Jessie's news, something was not sitting well with Hadji. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about what Melana had said was bothering him. "Jonny-"

Jonny was still focusing, trying to ignore the remnants of the pounding pain in his head. "What?"

"What Melana said to you - about the contact in South America? Something about that is bothering me," Hadji replied. Remember, we heard her say something about this not being over and that their contact would take care of 'loose ends'? Would not that suggest that this contact is in the area?"

Jonny nodded as he massaged his temples. "I had a thought about that. Considering what the Zin twins knew, there's one more player in this game that we need to find and I have a feeling that he is closer than we think. If we're all here and safe and we just left my dad in the ER, that leaves your dad, Jess. We need to check on him _now_."

Jessie stared at them, not liking the direction the conversation was going. "My dad. Come on then, let's go."

--

_This tale is not over yet. Who is the contact? You should have a good idea, I hope. Anyway there is one chapter left, and if the DSL and self-editor gods are good to me, you shall have it tomorrow to wrap this little tale up. See you then. _


	16. Twist of the Knife

Chapter 15 - Twist of the knife

One the fifth floor and knife in hand, Doctor Najima advanced to the door to Mr. Bannon's room. It was a shame that he would have to die after all of the work that had been done on him, but orders were orders. He was also disappointed that he wouldn't be the first to perform research on Jonny Quest, but at the least the sisters would allow him full credit for any public discoveries.

"Dr. Najima, stop! What are you doing?"

He was more than startled to hear Jonny's voice from behind him. The disappointment he had been feeling turned into opportunity. Turning around, Doctor Najima grinned, brandishing the knife for all to see. "Ah, so all of you survived. This is most unfortunate."

When the Zin sisters had contacted him, they made it clear that they would take care of Jonny Quest and his friends. A change in plans wasn't so bad - he was reluctant to kill Mr. Bannon after all of the work he went through to patch him up. "Jonny, come with me, and I will leave your friends and family in peace. Think of what we can do together."

--

The last piece of the puzzle was standing in front him, and Jonny felt like a fool for not seeing it. He could feel Jessie tense up beside him. "Easy, Jess. He wants a reaction from us."

Jonny then glared at the doctor. "Go with you to be a guinea pig? Fat chance. We trusted you, and all along you have been selling us out to the Zin sisters. Well you won't be getting any payment from them - last we saw, the Sheriff had them in handcuffs. By now they should be in the hands of the authorities."

He was hoping to faze Doctor Najima, but was disappointed when the old man grinned. "Do you really think I care about the money? I want the fame and the discovery. When I was at the hospital in South America for my charity work, I didn't know what I was in for. When I saw you seemingly alive mere hours after I witnessed your cold, dead body, I knew that I was on the brink of something amazing. Think of possibilities of this gift, Jonny. You will never die. Imagine if our armies had that power. You and I can harness this gift together and no one would stand in our way."

Jonny recoiled at the pathetic attempt to win him over. "All I see are real human beings that would be tortured to the brink of death over and over again. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone, gift or not."

Strangely enough, the older man grinned at him. "Then you are a short sighted fool."

Doctor Najima exploded forward with an incredible show of quickness and strength. He brought down the knife hard, attempting to stab Jonny in the heart.

To his credit, Jonny just managed to duck around the attack and rounded back, intending to try and inflict a stunning blow to the back of the doctor's neck. Instead, Doctor Najima twisted around, inflicting a solid punch into Jonny's side, knocking him off balance and hard against the wall. Seconds later, Jonny heard the doctor's voice harsh against his ear. "We will see each other again. Count on it."

His head pounding worse than before, Jonny made an effort to push himself upright. There was a lot of noise and confusion in the hallways now and he could see no sign of the doctor. _Damn._

Hadji then appeared at his side and offered him a hand. "Jessie is going to check on Race. Let's get you patched up."

--

One of the ER doctors had quickly seen to cleaning up Jonny's arm wound and stitching it closed. He had gone back to the room where his dad was, only to find that Hadji was by his side. He took a seat on a bench outside of the room, finding that the headache that had nearly blinded him out in the desert was finally fading away. However, it was Dr. Najima's words that were lingering in his mind.

_Think of possibilities, Jonny. You will never die._

He shuddered.

"Jonny?"

It was Hadji. Looking up, he found that his brother stood there with a worried look on his face.

Jonny smiled. "Oh, hi Hadji. Have a seat."

Hadji sat down beside him on the bench. "Our father is resting comfortably. They've just finished the last of the IV for him. Luckily, he has no broken bones, so they have given him the green light to leave."

He pondered the news. "That's great. We can take him back to the hotel and let him get some rest."

Hadji gave him a lingering look. "I hear the words but no enthusiasm behind them."

Jonny sighed and stood up. "I guess what Doctor Najima said is still bothering me. I remember so little of what happened right at the last when I was shot in South America."

"You know who can give you answers, Jonny," Hadji replied, motioning over to the nearby elevators. "Go ahead, it is all right. I will take our father back to the hotel and meet you there later."

Jonny felt relieved and realized that his brother understood. "Thanks Hadj."

He then reluctantly headed towards the elevators, mentally gearing himself for the conversation to come.

--

Race Bannon opened his eyes. His room was dimly lit, but the pounding in his head from the earlier attack was finally beginning to subside. He turned his head, and was startled to find Jonny sitting in a chair looking at him.

His words held a sleepy tone. "Hey, how's your dad doing?"

Jonny smiled at him. "Good. After receiving copious amounts of fluids from the hospital along with painkillers for the bumps and bruises, he should now be back on his way to our hotel to sleep off the effects of this adventure."

Race nodded once. "Good. How did you get Jessie to leave?"

Laughing, Jonny shook his head. "Are you kidding me? I kicked her out of the room only after I heard her stomach growl for the twentieth time. She has promised to wolf her food down and be back here ASAP."

Race chuckled, but a look from Jonny silenced him. He somehow knew this day would come, but Race wished that it didn't have to happen like this. "That's Jessie for you. I suppose you came back because you have a few questions for me?"

Jonny frowned for a minute before turning away. "Yeah, I did, but I only have one question: Did you know?"

Race was silent. Jessie had told him of what happened in the hallway outside, and he knew that Jonny would want answers. Rough memories ran through his mind, and he thought of a few ways to answer Jonny's question. In the end Race chose to tell the truth. "Yes. When I brought you to the hospital from the temple, they had declared you dead soon after we arrived. You had lost a lot of blood, Jonny and-"

"Who gave me the serum?"

Jonny's interruption came like a whip crack, and it nearly made him cringe. "It was Miguel. He was in your room soon after you were declared dead."

Race waited for a retort or reply but none came, and it scared him. "Jonny?"

The boy he knew stood at the edge of his bed unmoving. When Jonny turned around to face him, Race could see the man that Jonny had become.

"So are you saying that I can't die now?"

Race pondered Jonny's question. "All I know is what I'd seen that day, Jonny. One minute you are dead, the next I'm talking with you like nothing had happened. I never even got a chance to talk to Miguel - he disappeared soon after he appeared in your room."

More silence. Race watched Jonny intently, watching for any reaction.

Jonny slowly smiled as he held his bandaged arm. "So I guess this is something I shouldn't test too extensively."

Race laughed. "No, I don't think this is something you could properly test, unless you want to go back to South America."

Jonny shook his head. "Nah. Besides, I have yet to finish my degree."

Race smiled. Jonny seemed to be coming to terms with the situation, but there was one last obstacle. "There's one more problem you haven't considered," he warned. "Doctor Najima escaped. He could come after you again."

The smile Jonny had faded slightly. "He did sound pretty obsessed."

Race nodded. "You do know when Intelligence One and the federal authorities get wind of what happened to you and learn of Doctor Najima, they will want to provide you protection."

"Ugh," Jonny replied making a face, "to have someone following me around 24/7, nosing completely into my business? No thanks." After a beat, he blushed. "Um, no offence Race."

"None taken," he replied with a grin. "You know, if you were to come back home, it would be no problem. I have a few contacts at I-One - we can make it clear that we've got your protection taken care of and to keep their hands off. You can finish your studies at M.I.T. first, of course, and I'm sure your dad would love to have you back for as long as you'd want to stay."

He watched as Jonny pondered the possibility.

Suddenly there was an intrusion of light. Race looked over to find that the door to his room was open and Jessie walked in. She looked at the two of them in some surprise. "Oh. Dad, I'm sorry. If you two were discussing something important-"

"Actually," Race spoke up, "I was just suggesting that Jonny come back home to the compound."

He could barely contain a chuckle as he watched Jonny give him a dirty look. Race knew he was pushing his luck, but eventually Jonny looked back at him. "You know, I think I will. I've missed being around you guys anyway."

"So I guess you are coming back to be the number one pest like you used to be?" Jessie challenged him with a smirk.

Jonny smirked in reply. "Nah, but I bet I could learn how quite easily. Mind if I follow you around for a while?"

Race barked a laugh as he watched his grown daughter turn three different shades of red.

_Some things never change. _

_THE END_

_--_

_Okay, okay, I know what I said, but the editor and DSL gods smiled favorably on me. I would like to thank all of my readers and I hope that all of you enjoyed the story. :)_

_Now onto the next bit of news: Yes, I did leave this timeline open-ended, but I have no plans to revisit this timeline. There are way too many other projects on my plate right now, not to mention catching up on my reading. This doesn't mean that I am quitting this fandom- this just means I am going to be more of a reader for a while. I will be back._

_In the meantime, I remain faithfully,_

_TimeGuardian _


End file.
